NordVPN Review

ByTop10.com StaffNov.18, 2018

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In a Nutshell

NordVPN has been a market leader for more than 10 years, and it shows. Its security features are nothing short of impressive, especially given the extremely affordable price—often as little as $2.99 per month. More importantly, however, it’s really simple to set up and use, which makes it the perfect introduction for those new to VPN.

pros

Up to 6 simultaneous connections

Double encryption

cons

Android and iOS apps need work

Speed can be patchy

Best for: Multiple devices and speed

Servers: 2,547 servers in 56 locations

Guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee

Highlights

Automatic kill switch

One-click installation

Live customer support 24/7

Ease of Use

Overall, NordVPN is great for beginners and those looking for a simple installation process. Plus, NordVPN is one of the few VPN services we reviewed to offer a dedicated IP address feature alongside dynamic and static IP addresses.

More to the point, NordVPN is extremely easy to install and use.

Simply download the VPN client and that’s it. Installation occurs in the background when you start the software for the first time, even on Windows. This makes NordVPN great if you’re new to VPN or have limited IT knowledge.

Pricing

3 Years

$2.99/month

2 Years

$3.99/month

1 Year

$6.99/month

1 Month

$11.95/month

*Updated: November, 2018

Like other VPN services we reviewed, NordVPN has three progressively cheaper plans, depending on how many months you pay for up front.

The plans start at $11.95 a month, but go down to $2.99 a month if you pay for 3 years up front. This makes NordVPN one of the cheapest VPN services around.

NordVPN also comes with some really nifty freebies. These include free YouTube and web proxies, an encrypted instant messaging feature and secret notes - encrypted messages that self-destruct after they’re read.

Features

NordVPN has an impressive set of features, with a particular focus on security and privacy. One of its more impressive features is its one-of-a-kind double-data encryption technology. This ensures the tightest security, as your data is not just encrypted once, but twice! This is especially helpful when using public WiFi to browse, shop or stream online.

The company is based in Panama, a jurisdiction with no data retention laws, and adopts a firm no logging policy.

It supports OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP and IPSec protocols and uses unusually high SSL-based 2048-bit encryption. In addition, you can run Tor over VPN, which allows you to further secure your anonymity online.

The service also has an automatic kill switch feature that instantly shuts down the websites or software of your choosing should your VPN connection drop out. Even more unique, perhaps, is a unique DNS leak resolver, which will keep of DNS queries inside VPN tunnels and outside nefarious hands.

Speed and Reliability

NordVPN has no bandwidth caps or speed limits. That said, because of the unusually high encryption levels, speeds can be a bit inconsistent. Speeds can also vary depending on which server you choose and from which country. The vast majority of NordVPN’s servers are so-called standard servers. And while there are dedicated ‘ultra fast TV’ servers, there are only 4 of them and they tend to have a relatively high server load.

Customer Support

There are a variety of ways to get in touch with NordVPN. You can contact customer support by opening an email support ticket and speak to a representative 24/7 via a live chat. You can also use popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to ask questions and get updates from the company.

To help you understand VPNs and the features offered, the website has an FAQ section and a number of video tutorials. Unfortunately, both are a bit limited. The FAQ section sticks to the very basics, whilst the tutorials primarily cover installation and not much else.

NordVPN has also launched a blog that is updated almost daily and covers the biggest news stories of the day that relate to privacy, security and reasons you need a VPN.

Bottom Line

All in all, NordVPN is an excellent choice, especially if you’re new to VPN services. It’s simple to set up, packed with features and priced incredibly low. The only setback is that due of the high levels of encryption, speeds can get a bit patchy at times.

This site is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and comparison features to its visitors. Please be advised that the operator of this site accepts advertising compensation from companies that appear on the site, and such compensation impacts the location and order in which the companies (and/or their products) are presented, and in some cases may also impact the rating that is assigned to them. To the extent that ratings appear on this site, such rating is determined by our subjective opinion and based on a methodology that aggregates our analysis of brand market share and reputation, each brand's conversion rates, compensation paid to us and general consumer interest. Company listings on this page DO NOT imply endorsement. Except as expressly set forth in our Terms of Use, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this page are disclaimed. The information, including pricing, which appears on this site is subject to change at any time.

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